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The Feather Report
Volume 2, Issue 10
 Tis the season for field trips! Last week our kindergarten students took their first-ever Westlawn field trip to Cox Farms, and this week our first grade students walked to the Jefferson Fire Station in our neighborhood. We love being able to see students learning in and experiencing new environments!
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families,
A big Westlawn ‘thank you’ to our wonderful PTA for hosting Westlawn Day last weekend. The rain held off and we had a wonderful time! Students had their faces painted, the moon bounce was hopping, and some good sports from our staff got pies in the face from some loving children :)
After-school Enrichment Programs are firmly underway, we are thankful for all families for timely pick-ups in the late afternoons as we are unfortunately unable to provide bus transportation for these programs.
Next week our PTA is hosting our second Restaurant Night of the school year at Guapo’s on Tuesday -- see below for information, a portion of all the proceeds collected that evening will go directly to the Westlawn PTA. And we close out next week with a Westlawn staple… our annual International Night of Celebration! Come join the fun and celebrate with our community - food, performances, and a blast for the entire family!
In partnership,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, Shana Curtis, Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
News
Thank You for the Photos!
Ms. Dushok has been experimenting with sending TalkingPoints messages when grade levels go on field trips with family chaperones to ask for photos, and she has received so many! Thank you, families, for sharing your pictures! They help make our website, social media, newsletters, and yearbook more personalized and enjoyable! If you ever have a photo you want to share, Ms. Dushok is always happy to receive it! You can send it via TalkingPoints or email.
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Find Forms in the Parent Digital Consent Portal
FCPS has moved to a digital portal for all forms, including digital resource consent forms, opt-out forms for the Youth Survey, test retake forms for students in grades 3 and above, and more! We appreciate families using the Parent Digital Consent Portal to complete paperwork--it allows us to allocate our staff members to student-facing and other student-support roles instead of managing paper! Families must have ParentVUE accounts set up to access the Parent Digital Consent Portal. You can get your ParentVUE account set up by contacting Ms. Caballero in the main office at 703-241-5100. Remember that events requiring your consent happen all year, so it’s never too late to gain access to the portal!
Serie de seminarios web educativos sobre cómo iniciar una pequeña empresa
Nuestros socios de la Fairfax County Public Library están lanzando una serie de seminarios web en español para ayudar a las personas a aprender cómo iniciar pequeños negocios. Obtenga más información e inscríbase ahora.
Reminder: Work with Us at Westlawn!
We have been provided with a new staff position at Westlawn, and are hoping to hire someone to join our team as an instructional assistant in a Category B Special Education classroom. Candidates must have the minimum of a high school diploma. Other requirements and the application are available online; just search for Westlawn. Interested candidates are asked to email Mr. Hill in addition to completing the application. Families are encouraged to share this opportunity with anyone they think would be a good fit!
Reminder: Veterans Day Banner Photo Request
Tuesday, November 11 is Veterans Day. In honor of those who have served our country, we will be making a banner and posting photos of members of our community who have served or currently serve in the military. If you or a family member have served and you’d like to be included please send a photo to Mr. Stuebner by Friday, October 31. Original photos can be returned but copies are preferred. Please include their name, branch, and the years they served. If you’d like to include any further information such as rank, specialty, or theatre of operation he’ll also include it. Materials and information can be submitted to Mr. Stuebner in person, via email, or via TalkingPoints.
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Last Call: Webinars for Families
Did you know that FCPS has an entire Family Resource Center that includes free webinars for families? Webinars cover all kinds of topics including information for families of students with disabilities, for families with students planning to go to college, and more! For our Westlawn families, you might consider attending a new webinar offering:
- Reading Plans and Your Student: October 22, 10-11:30 a.m. This session will help you understand the new reading plans in FCPS. Note: not all students have a reading plan. Send your child’s teacher a TalkingPoints message if you are wondering about whether they have a reading plan.
There is translation available on an as-needed basis, so families are encouraged to register today to ensure translators are available.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Immunization Events for FCPS Students
- How AI is Shaping Technology
- Blueprints for Success, How Bonds Build Communities
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Dates and Events
October 20: No School (Diwali)
October 21: PTA Restaurant Night at Guapo’s in Merrifield (5:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Note: this fundraiser requires that you bring a physical copy of the flier with you to the restaurant. Copies will be sent home in Thursday folders on October 16. An electronic version has already been published on the Westlawn calendar.
October 21: The Day the Books Disappeared: Book Launch and Discussion about Book Bans and How to Stop Them at Thomas Jefferson Library (6:00 PM - 7:30 PM). Intended audience: adults. Register now.
October 22: Picture Day. Picture Day envelopes went home in Thursday folders. Learn more about photo options and photo products on offer this year.
DATE CHANGE: October 23: Westlawn Color Day: Wear White
October 24: International Night (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM). Fliers for this event were shared in Thursday folders. Families who want to contribute a dish, participate in the performances, or join the parade are invited to share their interest by returning the bottom of the form. Additional forms are available in the calendar or by asking your child’s teacher.
October 28: Full-Time AAP Information Session (5:00-6:00 PM on Zoom)
October 29: Westlawn Color Day: Wear Black
October 29: Early Release Wednesday - Students will be released at 12:30 PM. Childcare is available for the families who requested it in September. If you do not remember what you requested, please contact our main office at 703-241-5100.
October 31: Book Character Dress Up Day
October 31: Two-Hour Early Release - Students will be released at 1:30 PM. Childcare is not available unless your child is enrolled in SACC.
October 31: End of Quarter 1
To see more schoolwide and community events, remember to check out our website calendar! You can also subscribe to our calendar to make it even more convenient. Click on the little calendar icon in the top right corner of the calendar page of our website to add all current and future events to your cell phone calendar.
Engage with Westlawn
Yes, furloughed federal employees, we would love to have you as volunteers for as long as you are able! Keep an eye in this space for opportunities! Meanwhile, make sure you are in the FCPS volunteer system to get your credentials verified and background check completed so you are cleared when the opportunity pops up!
Two Packed Weeks
The next two weeks are absolutely packed with activities, with in-person activities and Zoom meetings, multiple calendar changes, and various opportunities to support Westlawn through evening activities.
We invite you to text your child’s best friends’ families and see what kind of unique play dates or hangouts you can set up. Maybe you can join another family for a night out at Guapo’s, trade early pick-up (and child entertainment) duties on October 29 and 31, or make a plan to attend International Night together.
Engaging with Westlawn doesn’t always mean volunteering your time or making a donation--it simply means showing your child that you care about the place where they spent a lot of their time Monday-Friday for 10 months of the year.
Join a Community Conversation
Join us on Wednesdays at 11 AM on Zoom to hear the important news from the school from Principal Hill! If you miss a Community Conversation, you can catch up with slides and recordings on our website.
Volunteering in FCPS in 2025-2026 requires you to fill out an online application, and then select the school(s) where you want to be. Learn more and apply today!
Mind Matters
AAP Service Highlight: Twice Exceptionality (2e)
Twice Exceptional students (abbreviated as 2e) are those that are advanced in one or more subject areas and have special education needs. An example of a 2e student is one that might have outstanding critical and creative thinking skills while also requiring teacher support for executive functioning skills like organization and sustaining attention.
Our SPED department chair, Ashley Claros, partners with our AAP department chair, Gretchen Maxwell, to ensure these students receive services for both. They collaborate with classroom teachers to be sure individual challenges are addressed as well as providing opportunities to have their strengths nurtured.
Learn more about 2e students and ways to support them.
Tech Talk
Happy Digital Citizenship Week!
Digital Citizenship Week runs from October 20-24 this year, which is next week! During #DigCit week schools and families are encouraged to explore the ways in which people should interact on and with technology to be considered positive digital citizens. Now that students in grades 1-6 are taking home devices each night, this topic is more pertinent than ever here at Westlawn!
Numerous companies and think tank groups share family-friendly activities, free webinars for parents, and various checklists of all kinds. While the FCPS website offers a robust section on digital citizenship for families, we think the family activity game cards from Common Sense Media might be our favorite find of the year. These cards come in English and Spanish and are based off of popular games like Two Truths and a Lie or Would You Rather?
Families are encouraged to browse these cards and use their favorites as conversation starters with their children. The cards may or may not lead to long discussions, but even starting the conversation shows a child that you know about this aspect of their life and you want to be involved. If you try them, let us know how it goes!
Is there a technology topic you want us to tackle in a future issue? Email your questions to Ms. Dushok (school based technology specialist) and Mr. Dinkins (technology support specialist).
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Soaring Staff Spotlight
This week the Soaring Staff Spotlight is on Tala Soubra!
Ms. Tala is a new PreK teacher here at Westlawn. Let’s learn more about Ms. Tala!
What is your favorite thing about working at Westlawn?
How loving and welcoming everyone in the community is
What is your favorite children’s book?
"I Want My Hat Back" by Jon Klassen
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Don't be scared of being uncomfortable. That's where growth happens.
What is your favorite family-friendly video game?
The Sims
If you could instantly learn a new skill, what would it be?
Saxophone
If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?
Zara Larsson, a Swedish singer/songwriter who won the second season of Talang, the Swedish version of Got Talent
Pizza or tacos?
Pizza
Is there someone you hope to see featured in an upcoming Soaring Staff Spotlight? Tell us by text to 571-355-2321.
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